Kicking off the Year by Organizing Home Office Paperwork

I like to kick off the new year with an organized home office. In my world that means starting with organizing home office paperwork. This includes setting up financial folders for the year and archiving those files that need to be kept. Once the files are set and my desk decluttered, I survey my bulletin board and clear all documents or memorabilia that are no longer needed.

If your intention is to also get your office paperwork better organized, here are 3 suggestions to get you started.

1. Just in case. There may be piles of paperwork that you’re holding onto should there ever be a need to refer to the documents in the future. Chances are that you don’t even know what’s in the piles at this point as it’s been months since you’ve sorted through them. It’s time to clear the piles! If you’re still reluctant to part with some of the paperwork, ask yourself where you can get another copy should you need it. This should help eliminate the piles.

2. No longer using. There are office supplies in my office closet that I don’t use. Most of my documents are filed digitally so I don’t need any of the paper filing supplies. File folders, hanging folders, paper clips, and binder clips are taking up valuable space. I’m donating those supplies that aren’t being used. If this is also a challenge for you, find a home for all the supplies that no longer have a purpose.

3. Professional memorabilia. I have copies of projects and reports that I worked on in my last corporate position. How about you?  I have decided to scale back what I’m keeping based on the amount of space I’m going to devote to storage. I set parameters for determining what would be kept and took one final trip down memory lane before shredding those documents that didn’t make the cut.  

Is organizing home office paperwork part of getting your workspace ready for the new year?  If you have any questions related to getting started, please reach out to me.